Custom Home Builder in Historic St. Elmo

St. Elmo sits at the foot of Lookout Mountain, a few minutes from downtown Chattanooga, with Victorian and early 1900s homes, deep porches and old trees on nearly every block. People who build here want a new home that feels like it has always belonged on the street, and that takes a builder who knows how St. Elmo works.

EPG Homes, LLC is a family owned custom home builder in Chattanooga, and St. Elmo is one of the neighborhoods it knows best. Evan Greene is a fourth generation builder who grew up on job sites, and EPG has built new custom homes in St. Elmo designed to fit the street. Since 2013, EPG has finished more than 300 projects around Chattanooga.

Call or text Evan’s team at 423-646-7540 to talk through your lot and your plans.

Building in a Historic District

Much of St. Elmo is a local historic district. New homes and additions there go to the Chattanooga Historic Zoning Commission, which reviews the design against the St. Elmo design guidelines and issues a Certificate of Appropriateness before work starts. Porch depth, rooflines, siding, windows and how the house sits on the street all get a close look.

Approval isn’t automatic. In the city’s published minutes from 2023 through 2025, about 3 in 10 new home designs in St. Elmo were deferred or denied at their first Historic Zoning Commission hearing, most often for being too large, too wide or too tall for the block.

EPG has seen what that looks like. Earlier owners of some St. Elmo lots had their plans turned down by the historic commission, got frustrated and sold. EPG worked with the new owners on designs that fit the block, and those homes got approved.

That review takes time. In St. Elmo, design and the historic approvals can add about 3 to 4 months before construction starts, so Evan’s team plans for it from the first sketch and builds it into the price and the schedule up front.

Infill Lots and Older Streets

Most St. Elmo builds are infill, on a lot between older homes, and some lots climb toward the mountain. Evan’s team walks the lot with you first to look at slope, drainage, utilities, driveway or alley access and the houses on either side, so the design and the budget are realistic before you commit. Still looking for land? EPG can look at a lot with you before you buy and tell you what it will take to build there.

Work Directly with Evan

With EPG, you’re not handed off to a sales team. You work one on one with Evan from the first meeting to the final walkthrough, and Evan is on site every week, some phases every day. A project manager runs the build day to day and is your go to person whenever questions come up.

Many EPG homes are designed with Evan’s wife Haley, a graduate of the interior design program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. EPG also works with several trusted interior designers and architecture firms around Chattanooga, and the team is happy to build from your own architect’s plans.

★★★★★

“We’ve known Evan for years, and what we love most about EPG Homes is that they genuinely care about you, your family, and the home you’re creating. You never feel like just another client.”

Marta R. · Google review

Room for an ADU

EPG has built several custom homes with an ADU, or accessory dwelling unit, a separate living space on the same lot. Some owners want one for multigenerational living, so parents or grown kids can stay close and still have a place of their own. Others plan it as a short term rental. In St. Elmo, the zoning and the historic guidelines both shape what fits, so EPG helps check what the lot allows before design starts. Call or text Evan’s team at 423-646-7540 to talk through an ADU on your lot.

A Clear Price and a Realistic Schedule

You get a clear, detailed price before construction starts. Most EPG custom homes land between $350K and $850K+, depending on size, lot and finishes.

Most custom builds take about 6 to 9 months once construction starts, and larger or more detailed homes can take longer. In St. Elmo, plan on design and the historic approvals adding about 3 to 4 months up front. You can follow the schedule, progress photos and change orders online in Buildertrend.

How EPG Prices a Custom Home

EPG builds custom homes on a cost plus fixed fee model. The fee is set up front based on the plans and scope of the home, and it doesn’t move when you pick finishes. If you choose a higher end stone, a bigger lighting package or a better window line, you pay the actual cost of that upgrade and EPG doesn’t make a dollar more.

With cost plus a percentage, every upgrade raises the builder’s pay.

That’s different from the usual cost plus percentage model, where the builder earns 15 or 20 percent of everything that goes into the house. With a fixed fee, nobody has a reason to push the client toward the more expensive option, so EPG’s advice is just advice based on its understanding of the client’s needs and goals.

You also see every invoice and receipt through EPG’s online client portal as the build goes. EPG and the homeowner work as one team toward the same goal: the right house at a fair cost.

Backed for 10 Years

Every new EPG home includes a limited 10 year warranty backed by Quality Builders Warranty (QBW): workmanship and materials in year 1, wiring, piping and ductwork in year 2, and major structural defects for 10 years. EPG Homes is a licensed Tennessee contractor, license 69089.

★★★★★

“Working with Johnny and Evan was the best. We now have the house of our dreams and it was built even better than we had envisioned.”

Isaac W. · Google review

Remodeling a Home in St. Elmo

Inside the St. Elmo historic district, almost any change to the outside of a home needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before work starts, from additions and porches to windows, doors, siding, roofing and fences. Additions go to the Historic Zoning Commission at its monthly hearing, and smaller projects that follow the guidelines can often be approved by city staff. Interior work, most painting and repairs that don’t change how the house looks generally don’t need one.

EPG knows how that approval process works in St. Elmo. Once a pre construction agreement is in place, EPG’s design team prepares the drawings and the application, and Evan’s team plans the schedule around the review so work can start once the approval is in hand. See how EPG handles remodels and additions, or call or text Evan’s team at 423-646-7540 to talk through your project.

More from EPG

See how EPG approaches custom homes across Chattanooga, or explore custom homes in East Ridge. EPG also takes on remodels and additions in older neighborhoods, and you can browse finished homes in the portfolio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does EPG Homes build in St. Elmo?

Yes. EPG has built new custom homes in St. Elmo designed to fit the neighborhood, and builds custom homes on your lot across Chattanooga.

Do new homes in St. Elmo need historic zoning approval?

Much of St. Elmo is a local historic district, where new homes and additions are reviewed by the Chattanooga Historic Zoning Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness. EPG plans the design around the St. Elmo guidelines from the start.

Can EPG help get plans approved in St. Elmo?

Yes. EPG designs around the St. Elmo guidelines from the first sketch, with the size, width and height of the home planned to fit the block. EPG has also worked with new owners of lots where earlier plans were turned down, and those designs got approved.

How long does a custom home take in St. Elmo?

Most EPG custom builds take about 6 to 9 months once construction starts, and larger or more detailed homes can take longer. In St. Elmo, design and the historic approvals can add about 3 to 4 months before construction begins.

What does a custom home in St. Elmo cost?

Most EPG custom homes land between $350K and $850K+, depending on size, lot and finishes. You get a clear, detailed price before construction starts.

Can EPG build a custom home with an ADU in St. Elmo?

Often, yes. EPG has built several custom homes with an ADU, and before design starts EPG helps check what the lot, the zoning and the historic guidelines allow.

Do I need historic approval to remodel a home in St. Elmo?

For most exterior work, yes. Inside the St. Elmo historic district, additions, porches, windows, doors, siding, roofing and most other exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness before work starts. Interior work, most painting and minor repairs that don’t change how the home looks generally don’t. Once a pre construction agreement is in place, EPG’s design team prepares the drawings and the application, and Evan’s team plans the schedule around the review.

What is a cost plus fixed fee contract?

You pay the actual cost of building your home, plus one fixed fee to EPG that’s set up front from the plans and scope. You see every invoice and receipt through EPG’s online client portal, and choosing upgrades never raises EPG’s fee.